Ponds and streams have always held a special place in the hearts of kids growing up. Whether fishing with the family, exploring along the banks, or just enjoying the open sky, the pond is a destination and a potential lifetime memory. Over the years many children of B-CC IWLA families have had their first ever outdoor experiences hiking to our ponds and fishing with their parents. STREAMS Children Fishing the Big Pond Our Conservation Farm lies in the southwest corner of the Seneca Creek Watershed, and in the Dry Seneca Creek Subbasin. Small seasonal streams, known collectively as Horsepen Branch, join the subbasin near its junction with Seneca Creek and the Potomac River. One of the tributaries of Horsepen Branch starts south of Poolesville near the junction of Westerly Road and West Willard Road. Another of these tributaries flows through the ponds at the Poolesville Public Golf Course and enters chapter property at the Northeast Woods. Only the southern portion of the West Woods is not drained by Horsepen Branch. These seasonal streams and a riparian buffer on each side enjoy special protections under the Conservation Farm s conservation easements. The following definition from Wikipedia provides a good description of a riparian buffer: A riparian buffer is a vegetated area (a "buffer strip") near a stream, usually forested, which helps shade and partially protect a stream from the impact of adjacent land uses. It plays a key role in increasing water quality in associated streams, rivers, and lakes, thus providing environmental benefits. With the decline of many aquatic ecosystems due to agricultural production, riparian buffers have become a very common Riparian Buffer conservation practice aimed at increasing water quality and reducing pollution. Our Conservation Farm contains 88 acres of riparian buffers. 33
PONDS Ponds are built for many purposes. In this part of the country, the majority are used to water livestock. Ponds also provide irrigation, nutrient cycling for the ecosystem, wildlife and fish production, recreational and educational opportunities, sediment control, and simple aesthetic beauty, which adds value to property. There are 50,000 ponds covering about 150,000 acres in Maryland, but no natural lakes. The Conservation Farm has two ponds: known to all as the Big Pond and the Little Pond. Both are man-made with an earthen dam and graveled spillway. They serve the Conservation Farm as fishing holes, educational facilities, sediment basins, and wildlife water sources. Both ponds are in the upper reaches of parts of Horsepen Branch. Several ponds along the Horsepen Branch Watershed Management Area (including the ponds on the chapter grounds) have been designated as wetlands of state concern because of their botanical diversity and value to wildlife. Certain rare, threatened, and endangered species can be found along them. THE BIG POND The Big Pond covers approximately 2.23 acres, and its depth averages 5 feet with the deepest portion being 8 feet near the overflow-outfall at its eastern end. The pond is fed by a seasonal stream that enters the pond at its northern end. During periods of drought there is no stream flow into the pond, and it becomes a captive body of water whose level fluctuates with evaporation and rainfall. Located at the northeast corner of the Main Farm, the Big Pond (sometimes called Walton Pond by mapping agencies) is bordered to the East by the B5 field, and to the South by the C2 and C3 fields. The easiest access to the Big Pond is to walk North on the eastern side of the Nature Trail Loop through the Cathedral of the Pines between the C3 and C2 fields. The Big Pond 34
The watershed of the Big Pond is mostly forested with a few developed lands (and a few homes) to the North and Northwest of the Conservation Farm property line. In 1998 the big pond was entirely silted in and biologically unproductive. A contractor was hired to take out tons of sediment, pile it on either side of the pond. The standpipe was replaced, and concrete rip rap, obtained from the foundation of the old chapter house was placed in the upper end of the pond. The stream coming into the pond was diverted slightly to create an eddy which would help capture silt between the rip rap and the area where the stream enters the pond. Underwater rip rap mounds and some wooden structures were placed in the Big Pond to create underwater terrain for fish and other aquatic life. In 2009, additional structures were added by sinking wooden pallets with concrete weights to provide structure for fish. Many of our members take a break from their busy lives to fish, picnic, or just sit and contemplate nature at the ponds. And while one is there, and depending on the season, one may see some of the rare species of plants and woodland and aquatic animals conducting their own busy lives around the ponds. Underwater Rip Rap An ongoing inventory of plants, aquatic insects, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals living on the Conservation Farm can be found in the Wildlife Counts webpages on the B-CC IWLA Website (www.bcciwla.org). Of special interest are some of the shoreline and aquatic plants found at the Big Pond. Surrounding the pond is a well established population of the Halberd-leaved Rose mallow. This shoreline plant has tall erect stems and sports a three-inch flower with a rose center. The Big Pond has one of the few populations of this native plant in this part of Maryland. Each summer the surface of the Big Pond is covered with a dense floating bloom of a small aquatic plant known as duckweed. Other aquatic plants of interest are the pondweeds, including Elodea and Potamogeton growing in the shallow water of the pond. While these plants provide oxygen, food and cover for fish and insects, an overabundance can degrade water quality. Halberd-leaved Rose Mallow 35
Both of the Conservation Farm s ponds have been stocked with native Largemouth Bass a species of black bass in the sunfish family. Largemouths are an aggressive predator usually managed in small lakes in conjunction with one or another of the smaller sunfish as their major prey species. The other purposely stocked native sunfish in the Conservation Farm ponds is the Bluegill. The Bluegills serve as prey for the bass, and are fun to catch on light tackle. Fishing at the Conservation Farm ponds is strictly catch and release, and subject to Maryland fishing regulations. Non-venomous snakes that may be found at the Big Pond include the Black Rat Snake, Eastern Ribbon Snake, and Common Garter Snake. Common turtles include the Eastern Box Turtles and Painted Turtles. During spring and summer the air is filled with the sounds of chorusing of Spring Peepers, Green Frogs, American Toads, and Bullfrogs, which are abundant at the Big Pond. Spotted Salamanders and Red Spotted Newts may be found in and around the ponds perimeter. Be sure to look for the colorful and active dragonflies and damselflies defending territories over the Big Pond, during the summer, including Eastern Pond Hawk, Common Whitetail, and the rare Arrow-head Spiketail. In years past, American Beaver have built dams and flooded the land to the north and south of the Big Pond, and are sometimes found frequenting the upstream and Largemouth Bass downstream from the Big Pond. Their presence is usually announced with a loud tail slap on the surface of the water. Evidence of previous beaver activity can still be seen around the pond. Migrant waterfowl regularly seen at the Big Pond include Canada Goose, Mallard, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Scaup and Merganser that raise young on the Big Pond. From time to time Great Blue Heron and Green Herons may be seen stalking frogs and small fish along the pond shore. Nesting boxes are provided for Wood Ducks on the north shore, below the dam, and above the inlet at the Big Pond. Migrant waterfowl are regularly seen at all seasons. Great Blue and Green-backed Herons are regular visitors to the fringes of the pond in the summer months. Great Blue Heron at the Big Pond 36
The Chapter has developed an active colony of Tree Swallows at the Big Pond through the placement of predator-proof nest boxes. During the nesting season these boxes are checked at least weekly and the data on eggs, young, and fledging results are reported to citizen science projects annually. A few of the boxes are regularly used by other cavitynesting species such as Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, and House Wren. Members and visitors are welcome to observe and photograph the nesting birds providing they do not disturb them. To participate in the nest check schedule, please contact the Wildlife Chairman. Tree Swallow / Predator-Proof Nest Boxes Red-winged Blackbirds and Eastern Wild Turkey raise their young around the Big Pond. Several species of forest birds regularly use the edge habitat (ecotone) between the surrounding forest and the pond to forage and raise their young. THE LITTLE POND Located in front of the Log Cabin, the Little Pond provides an idyllic view from the Chapter House. The watershed of the Little Pond includes runoff from the Rifle and Pistol Range, a brushy area to the west, and mown grasses. The drainage below the Little Pond runs through a wooded area past the Bee Hives before it runs into the Horsepen Creek. The Little Pond was drained at the same time as the Big Pond. The ramp and deck were constructed at this time and a new standpipe was installed. The ramp and deck provide easy access to fishing, and houses the aerator mechanism. An ongoing inventory of plants and wildlife found at the Conservation Farm can be found in the Chapter Natural Resources Inventory in the Wildlife Counts webpages on the B-CC IWLA Website (www.bcciwla.org). Of special note is the water lily infestation at the Little Pond, a result of the pond being very shallow. The layers of shale rock underlying the pond are close to the surface, preventing extensive excavation. The Little Pond has a breeding population of Spring The Little Pond 37
Peepers, Green Frogs, Bullfrogs, and American Toads. Each of these species can be heard calling at different times from early spring through fall. A variety of snakes, turtles, dragonflies, damselflies, and salamanders may be found around the pond throughout the year. AERATORS Both ponds have solar powered aerators installed to keep the pond well mixed and supplied with dissolved oxygen during the hot summers and open water in the winter. Ponds like those on the B-CC farm suffer from overheating and low oxygen levels when summer temperatures soar and seasonal creeks stop running into the pond. Layers of warm water form on the surface of the pond and act like a sheet of plastic preventing oxygen from dissolving into the deeper layers of the pond. During hot summer nights when aquatic plants stop the process of photosynthesis, dissolved oxygen levels can become dangerously low. Installing a Solar-aerator System The solar-powered aeration systems capture energy from the sun via photovoltaic panels (solar panels), which charge a 12-volt battery during the daytime. The battery operates air-pumps controlled by a timer. During the afternoon, nighttime, and morning, the air-pumps deliver compressed air to the diffusers mounted on the bottom of the pond. These diffusers create columns of air-bubbles that rise up from the bottom of the pond, lifting the bottom water to the surface and breaking up the warm surface layer and mixing the water. The mixing action from the columns of airbubbles improves conditions for the fish, turtles, crayfish, and other creatures that call the pond their home. In addition, mixing the water discourages the growth of algae and duckweed during the summer months, and improves the down-stream water quality. Solar-powered Aeration system 38